Brace for vehicle running-gear.



1. M. EAD IE.

BRACE FOR VEHICLE RUNNING GEAR. APPLlCATlON FILED OCT. 16, 1915.

1,272,025, Patent ed. July 9, 1918.

m A TTOR/VEYS JOHN M. EADIE,'OF'1\TEW YORK, N. Y.

BRACE FOR VEHICLE RUhlNING-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application filed. October 16, 1915. Serial No. 56,205.

v To all whom it may concern:

Be it "known that I, JOHN M. EADIE, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Braces for Vehicle Running-Gear, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to braces for vehicle running gear, and particularly to running gear of the two turning axle type. Such running gear consists ordinarily of two pivoted axles mechanically connected together, so that they will turn oppositely and simultaneously on their pivot points, and it will be a'pparent since the loads of such vehicles must be carried upon the two pivot points and their respective bearing plates, that the ordinary braces necessary to withstand distortions of the running gear and excessive strain upon the king-bolts or axle pivots cannot be used. My invention is therefore. directed toward providing braces adaptable for use either when the vehicle body is resiliently mounted or when it isrigidly mounted on the running gear, which will protect the axles, king-bolt, and cross supports from danger of upsetting as a result of end thrust, will steady and support the automatic steering mechanism, and may be cheaply and easily applied to vehicles already equipped with short turn .gear.

Further objects and advantages ofmy invention will more clearly appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in

which like reference characters indicate like parts- I I I Figure 1 is a side view of a spring mounted vehicle showing one form of bracing embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of a truck rigidly mounted on the running ear and shows a form of my invention and Fig. 4 is suitable to such a mounting; an end view of Fig. 3. i

In Figs. 1 and 2, the vehicle body A. is mounted upon transverse springs B and C of any desired type. The reach 1 is attached to the front spring B and pivoted to the fifth wheel 2 and front axle 3 by the kingbolt l, which is secured to the axle 3 in any suitable manner. The rear transverse spring C is similarly attached to the other end of the reach 1 and pivoted to the sixth wheel 5 and rear axle 6 by the king-bolt 1 The shortturn device is illustrated by the shaft 7 hung from the reach 1 by brackets 8 and 9 and having pinions 10 and 11 at its ends to engage segmental racks 12 and 13 on the lower faces of the fifth wheel 2 and sixth wheel 5. The brace 15 is bolted to the frame of the body as at 16 and 17 and to the reach as at 18, and may be of the form illustrated or of any desired form which will resist forward and back motion of the body relatively to the reach and running gear, but will allow of vertical compression. In fact, I preferably employ a brace which has very slight, if any, resistance to vertical compression, but sturdily opposes a relative longitudinal motion of frame and running gear, and such brace need not'be in the form illustrated, but may consist of any other form of construction which-is suited to the end stated.

' In Figs. 3 and 1 I have shown a modification of my invention for use in vehicles which are rigidly mounted on the running gear. Here the reach 19 is attached to the front brace orbolster 20 and pivoted to the fifth wheel 21 and axle 22 by king-bolt 23, and issimilarly attached to the rear brace or bolster 24: and pivoted to the sixth wheel 25 and rear axle 26 by the king-bolt 27. Since the frame is rigidly mounted on the running gear the brace 28 may also be of a rigid type and is preferably located as illustrated in Fig. 3, where it combines the double function of strengthening the kingbolts and bolsters in resisting end thrusts and steadying and supporting the short-turn mechanism.

It is apparent that my invention is applicable to any type of short-turning device having a reach from front to rear axle entirely independently of the other details of construction of the. running gear. It relieves the front and rear transverse springs or bolsters of the necessity of taking up longitudinal strains and renders vehicles of this type stronger and more practical than they have preyiously been, without surrendering any of theirother advantages; 1t also steadies and supports the reach and steering- While I have dBSCl'lbGdtIHYlIlYGlllllQIl in,"

great detail in what I consider to be its prefe'rred embod ments,

my invention, mod fiqat qne ma in w-e r s tiqii and rrangement qftparts,.Wit O 1t1 depart 'ngj from, he Sp1llt ofv my. vention w'hic i' :wish t0 d fi eand limit 1 1 5 bat e scope Ofthe followingclaims,

Having thus described my invention what Iiclaim a'sf new andfdesir'e to secure byfL'et: t rsi tsl ts 3+ i 111i; l apparatus of the character described, 'thegco nbination with a vehicle havingv means for turning the axles simulta neoiisly, and oppositely, ofa vehicle body, areach', means fon supporting the body,and

afllongitudinalf,braqe attaching ,the reach {to the body of the vehicle 2. .111 apparatus, of, the, charaqter described, thejcombination with a vehicle having, means: for turning the axles simultae neoilsly, and oppositely, of avehiclebody, a reae'h, means for. supporting the body and a longitudinal brace between the bodyjof the vehicle and the reach, located substantially Inidwaybetween' th'e'faxl esf In apparatus "of/the, charaoter described, the combination with alvehiclej havmeans for turning the axles simultaneously, and oppositely, of a vehicle body, bolsters bet'weenfthe axles and the bodyof thevehicle, a reach secured to the bolsters andbraced against moving longitudt nally'withre pwt totheibodyg 4.,In apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination with a vehicle having means for turning the jaxles simultaneously, and oppositely," of; a vehicle body, a ea l nnet ing} he a wo. s, r m an mounted on the axles' to support the body of the; vehijcle, and, a brace between" the body andjfthe' reach adaptedito relieve the said supporting means frornendthrust.

In apparatus of the character vde scribed, the combination with'a Vehicle having' means for turning the axles'si nultaneously, and oppositely, of a veh cle: body, reach connecting: the 'tw'o axles means mo nt vn rhe -x1e S'QPPQI t e dy of the 1 vehicle, and a -brace J between the body and. the mat whichy 'ld t ert a Pr sure t pnosesl e a ve. ngi udi m ti on of the body, and the reachf 64 1", pparatus of the ,character described fthe' Combination with a vehicle havit, will be apparenh to. those skilled in the art, after understanding that numerous changes and ing means for turning the axles simultaneously, and oppositely, ofa veh cle body, a reach connecting the two axles, means mounted on the axles to resiliently support the body of.-the;vehicle,,and a brace between the body and the reach which yields to vertical p1:eSsure but; opposes relatively long1- tudinal motion of the body and the reach; .7 7:. In. apparatus of the character described, the combination with .a vehicle havin'g means for turning the axles simulta neously, and oppositely, of a vehicle body, a reach pivoted to the axles and a longitudinal spring brace between the body. of the vehicle andlthe reach comprising an uppeii'and a lower portion, theupper portion being attached to the bodyand the lower portion to the reach '8, In apparatus of the character described, thecombination with front and rear axlesofa vehicle, of a vehicle body, afifth wheelo rthe front axle, a' sixth wheel, on, the, rear axle, racks on said wheels a shaft'havin'g pinions adjacent its ends to engage the racks, a reach ivoted to the axles and supporting the shaft by suitable brackets, and a longitudinalbracegbetween the I reach; and the 'bo'dybf the vehicle, located at a'point about, midway betweenthe axles.

9. In apparatus of: the character, de-v scribed, the combinationwith the front and reiu'axles of a vehicle, ofavehicle body-{of a fifth wheel on the front axle, a sixthlwheel on the rear a-xlegracks on: said wheels, a shaft having pinions adjacent its ,endsfto engage the racks, reach ivoted to the axles ai'id sup'porting the sha tby suitable-brackets, springs mounted onthe axles to support the body of the vehicle, and a brace attached tothebody andto the reaclrwhich ofi'ers slight resistance to vertical pressure but opposes longitudinal motion of;'the ,body relatively to the reach;

10, In apparatus of the character, described, ,the combination with the front and rear axles ,of a;vehi cle,- 0f avehicle body, a fifth wheel on the front axle,'asixth"wheel on the rear axle-, racks. onsaid wheels, a oshaft having pinions adjacent its ends to engage the racks, a reach pivoted to the axles;,and supporting the shaft by suitable brackets, means mounted on the axles to support the body of the vehicle, and a spring bracebetween the body and the reach, which offers slightresistance to vertical pressure but opposes longitudinalmotion of the body relatively to the reach.

11. In apparatuslof the character de scribed, ;the combination with the front and rear axl es ofa vehicle, of a vehicle: body, a fifth'wheel on the front axle, a sixthzwheel 0n the rear axle, racks on said'wheels, a shaft 5 body of the vehicle, and a longitudinal spring brace between the body and the reach comprising an upper and a lower compression portion, tached to the to the reach.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN M. EADIE.

the upper portion being atbody and the lower portion Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of latents, Washington, D. G. 

